K. Jack Bauer (1926–1987)

If weighted in terms of its impact, an excellent argument could be made for the war that broke out between the United States and Mexico in 1846 as the most understudied war in American history. When it ended two years later, the United States had gained sovereignty over 800,000 miles of new territory that would go on to form all or part of eight states of the union. Moreover, this acquisition had the effect of renewing the debate over the westward expansion of slavery in the United States, one that in the end was resolved only by four more years of warfare and the devastation of a large portion of the country. Yet despite this, in the last century only two notable histories of the war were written: Justin Smith’s venerable The War with Mexico, and K. Jack Bauer’s volume on the conflict for the Macmillan Wars of the United States series.

Bauer opens his book with the declaration that “[i]f America ever fought an unavoidable war, it was the conflict with Mexico over the delineation of the common boundary.” It’s a highly debatable point, especially considering that he devotes several pages to the efforts to avert the conflict through negotiation. These negotiations were prompted by the American annexation of Texas at the start of 1845, which inflamed U.S.-Mexican relations due both to the disputed status of Texas and the disagreements over which river – the Nueces or the Rio Grande – formed its border. Determined to assert the Rio Grande at the border, the newly elected president, James K. Polk, engaged in a policy of brinksmanship that he hoped would compel the Mexicans to back down.

Backing down was politically impossible for the Mexican government, however. The result was the deployment of U.S. and Mexican forces in the disputed Nueces-Rio Grande region, making conflict inevitable. This gave Polk the opportunity he sought to lay claim to a large swath of Mexican territory – not just Texas, but California as well. Yet the means available to realize these dreams were shockingly limited, as the United States Army was far too small for the operations now being proposed. Though volunteers quickly swelled the ranks, Bauer is frequently dismissive of their contribution, as their lack of training and discipline made them a poor substitute for professional soldiers.

It took time to organize the regiments and send them to Mexico. In the meantime the general in command of American forces in the disputed region, Zachary Taylor, found himself facing an army superior in numbers to his own. Yet the Mexicans proved even more poorly prepared for war than the Americans, and Taylor won a series of victories in northeastern Mexico that soon made him a national hero. Further progress was limited by a lack of reinforcements, though, prompting Taylor to turn over his command and return to the United States.

The soldiers denied Taylor were instead used for a more daring offensive. In March 1847 American forces landed outside of the Mexican port of Vera Cruz. Led by General Winfield Scott, they soon took Vera Cruz and were soon advancing on Mexico City itself. With their forces depleted after their defeats further north, the Mexican army under the command of General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna sought to halt the American advance, only to be routed completely. By the end of September Scott’s forces were in control of the Mexican capital, from which Polk’s representative negotiated a treaty that confirmed America’s gains from conquest.

Bauer’s book is primarily a history of the military operations of the war. While politics receives some coverage, most other aspects of the war are addressed only briefly, if at all. Instead, the focus is on the campaigns and the men who commanded him. Bauer excels in this area, providing a clear narrative that he uses to assess the achievements of the commanders and their contributions to the outcome. The greatest strength of the book, however, is his incorporation of the United States Navy’s operations into the war, the contribution of which has all too often been overshadowed by the more spectacular and memorable achievements of their sister service. Because of this, while there are more recent studies of the war available, Bauer’s remains a fine source to turn to for anyone seeking a description of the military operations that shaped its outcome and left such an outsized mark on subsequent history.… (mais)

Have you ever heard of Zachary Taylor? Do you recognize the name? Other than having been the President of the United States sometime before Lincoln, would you know anything about him? Would you think that people would elect a man who had never served in an elected office? As I read this book, I was filled with questions about a man who served as the 12th President of the US and no other executive or legislative office.

What makes politicians think that they are qualified to give orders for a military action and what makes military men think that they are qualified to govern? Throughout this book Zachary Taylor faced issues dealing with the orders of the government officials sending orders to him for the military actions whether it was the War of 1812 or the Mexican American War. It is a shame that during a time when communications between the battlefield and Washington took weeks, politicians would make policy changes and send orders which resulted in difficulties for the military leaders to obey without increased dangers and loss of life to the army troops. The biggest question is, did he learn from that situation?

The man was an enigma, that's what the book said. I agree. He appears to be non-partisan in the short time that he served as President. During the election time, he did not campaign, but stated when asked about running for the office " My opinion has always been against elevating a military chief to that position." but that if he was elected he would serve "so as to be President of a nation and not of a party." When the members of the Whig party were drawing him into the election he tried not to step on the toes of any of the major political players and wouldn't answer as to his stance on the issues. He merely said that he would support the decisions of the Congress as long as they did not violate the Constitution.

President Taylor appears to have seen issues in only black or white and only had the ability to use his military training to handle those issues. If he didn't understand or feel qualified to handle a problem, he apparently passed it on to a subordinate. He had no clear plan of what needed to be done when he took office, and he didn't give the impression that he wanted anyone else's ideas either. He ultimately flew by the seat of pants through several issues before his unexpected death.

I was actually looking forward to reading this book about the life of the 12th President of the United States. I knew absolutely nothing about Zachary Taylor and was anxious to find out about the man. The details that were disclosed about his life and activities were many, yet I don't think that I'm really sure of his standings on the issues of the time even after reading this book, the man is still an enigma. I good general yes, president, not sure.… (mais)